James Cracknell says no one is safe on the road after Bradley Wiggins hit by van

James Cracknell has complained that "nobody is safe" on the road after fellow
Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins was hit by a van while cycling near his
home - as police prepared to speak to the driver of the vehicle.

By John-Paul Ford Rojas and Rosa Silverman

11:55AM GMT 08 Nov 2012

Wiggins, Britain's Tour de France champion and gold medallist at London 2012, was believed to have suffered broken ribs in the collision, which hit with such great force that the van's mirror was knocked off. He was taken to hospital.

A spokeswoman for Lancashire Police said: "We plan to speak to the driver later today as part of our inquiries."

Cracknell, a double rowing gold medallist, who suffered a near-fatal accident when he was hit by a truck during a challenge to cycle across America, took to Twitter to send his best wishes to Wiggins.

"Our King of the Road Wiggo knocked off his bike y'day & in hospital. Nobody is 100% safe on public highway pedestrians, cyclists, drivers..." he tweeted.

He added: "...all groups need to be vigilant for & respect rather than blame each other. Brad get well buddy, thought you'd be seen in that yellow top."

&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: James Cracknell - ...all groups need to be vigilant for &amp;amp; respect rather than blame each other. Brad get well buddy, thought you'd be seen in that yellow top!&lt;/noframe&gt;

Wiggins, 32, was struck on Crow Orchard Road in Wrightington, Lancashire, as a woman driving a white Vauxhall Astra van pulled out of a BP petrol station.

He was thought to have suffered broken ribs and cuts and bruises, as well as a dislocated finger. He was taken by ambulance to Royal Preston Hospital, and reportedly given morphine and a precautionary scan of his head.

Wiggins was waiting to undergo further scans to assess the full extent of the damage, according to cycling journalist William Fotheringham who has helped write his new autobiography. He had been due to attend a number of broadcast interviews to promote his book My Time, which is published today.

The driver, a local woman, was uninjured following yesterday's collision. She was heard to say afterwards: “I can’t believe it. Of all the people to hit, bloody Bradley Wiggins.”

Yasmin Smith, 21, an attendant at the garage, said Wiggins had begun to turn blue while he waited for an ambulance to arrive.

She said: “I was in the back room making a cup of tea when I heard the screeching of a tire and a massive bang.

“I came back through to the front and my mum, who works here too, said to me ‘can you go round, a customer said there’s been a bad accident.’

“I shot out of the garage and I saw a gentleman sitting on the pavement. He was going a bit blue, his colour was changing.

“The wing mirror was cleaned off the van so it must have been at force (that he was hit).

“I put my arm around him and said ‘come on back to the car.’ He was in pain and said ‘I think I’ve broken my ribs.’”

Wiggins’ wife Catherine and their two children Ben and Isabella, were said to have rushed to the scene after the accident, which happened at around 6pm.

In a statement on its website, Team Sky said: "We can confirm that on Wednesday evening Bradley Wiggins was involved in a road traffic accident whilst riding his bike near his home in Lancashire.

"He is being kept in hospital overnight for observation but the injuries he has sustained are not thought to be serious and he is expected to make a full and speedy recovery.

"We will announce more details in due course."

A Lancashire Police spokesman said: "Police were called to the scene of a road traffic accident at Crow Orchard Road in Wrightington at about 6pm.

"A cyclist has been involved in a collision with a white Vauxhall Astra van. The rider of the bike, a 32-year-old local man, was taken to hospital by ambulance with injuries not thought to be life-threatening. His family have been told.

“His condition is described as stable.”

North West Ambulance Service said the cyclist was taken to hospital in Preston with suspected broken ribs.

Wiggins became a British hero at the London Games in the summer and won the Olympic time trial - his fourth Olympic gold medal to date and his seventh in total after those won in Sydney, Athens and Beijing.

His triumph at the 2012 Olympics came just weeks after he became the first Briton to win the Tour de France, a victory that earned him a huge army of fans in the UK.